Lighter structure for gas burners



Sept- 8, 1942- E. H. MUELLER LIGHTER STRUCTURE FOR GAS BURNERS FiledAug. 11, 1939 Maffia' 852m, (L7M/w ATToRNEY` Patented Sept 8, 1942v,UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE V 2,29.'s,001v f 2.295.001 l l LIGHTER.STRUCTURE Foa Gas Bomans a Ervin n. Mueller, Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Application August 1.1, 1939, Serial N0. 289,539 4 Claims. (Cl.15S-*1115) This invention relates to a lighter stru ture for gas burnersand it has to do particularly th an arrangement which involves themounting of ash tubes of an automatic lighter.

It is, of course, an old expedient to place a burner for a pilot ame,which is designed to burn substantially constantly, in some intermediateposition as regards the plurality of gas' burners and to extend aso-called flash tube from l a point in proximity to the pilot ame toeach -ture and can be cheaply manufactured, and at the same time thetubes have somewhat of a universal mounting, to the end that the burnersmay be placed wherever desired and the flash tubes disposed in anydirection from the .pilot ame'to the burners. Some manufacturers preferto dispose their burners in accordance with their own ideas, and thedisposition of the burners may be different in different gas ranges, butthis one lighter structure may be used with any such arrangement.Moreover, the ash tubes extend outwardly radially from the pilot flameand may be disposed to extend in most any direction, and even though theposition of a ash tube be changed or varied in any manner, it remainssubstantially on a true radial line from the pilot ame, with the resultthat the open end of the ash tubefsubstantlally directly Afaces thepilot flame.

A structure for carrying .out the invention is disclosed herein. f v

Fig. 1 is a general plan view illustrating an arrangement of a pluralityof burners with th'e lighter structure associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a pilot flame housing and the innerends of the flash tubes, illustrating in dotted lines how a flash tubemay be adjusted about the amel Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view takensubstantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the formation of the flash tubes.

Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating th'e formation of the pilot flamehousing.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 1 is designed to depict a plurality of gasburners such as might be employed in a gas range,:the stove housingbeing illustrated at I, the gas supply pipeat 2, and a plurality ofburners' 3,.each having a valve I for the control of gas from theconduit 2. To facilitate the illustration of the invention an auxiliaryburner 5 is shown to which gas may be supplied also through a valve l. Agas pipe I extends from the conduit 2 for the purpose of supplying gasto the pilot llame.

. Each burner is constructed to receive one endofaiiaslrtubelarrangedintheusualmanner to supply sas to the tube whengas is Supplied from the corresponding valve 4. As illustrated, theilash tubes comprise two telescoping tubes so that the length thereofmay be varied.

The pipe 6 connectsto an upwardly extending mixer tube Ill (Fig. 3)disposed in a more or less central position, andthe pilot flamehousingis carried by the mixerl tube. This housing, as illustrated inFigs. V3 and 5, preferably` takes the form of a sheet metal stampingl ofcup shape. having the central portion of its bottom secured to the mixertubeII) as at ll and having a plurality of secondary air apertures I 2.The housing has a circular wall which extends preferably substantiallyvertically as illustrated at I3 Land the upper edgehas a bead formationI4 advantageously formed by fashioning the metal back upon itself asshown. This bead formation is continuous except where itis cutaway as atI5 to provide a notch. This'notch is preferably located over or insubstantial alignment with the pipe 6.. Of course, more than one notchI5 may be provided but it is preferred that only one be used. 'I'hemixer tube I0 is preferably equipped withaspilot flame tip I6 for thepilot flame, which itself is illustrated at Il. It is sumcient that. thehousing be a support for the flash tubes,'lt notv being necessary thatthe housing actually perform a housing function for the flame.

'I'he ends of the kash tubes adjacent the pilot flame are arranged to beconnected to the housing or cup, and more particularly with the bead It.To this end each ash tube has a cut-out portion to form an aperturewhich, as illustrated,

is somewhat in the shape .of a gure eight; the

aperture has enlarged ends 20 and 2| with a constricted central portion22.

To mount a flash tube on th'e cup, the tube is placed so that it linesup with the notchy I5; in other words, as in Fig, 1 is viewed the ilashtube is placed in substantial alignment with the pipe 6, and then islowered into the notch l5. The delning portions ofthe constricted part2.2 pass down into the notch. Then the tube may be vswungclrcumferentially with the bead then engaging in the two end portions 20and 2|. The constricted portions at this time underlie the bead as shownin Fig. 3 so that the tube is li'eld attached to the cup.

It will be observed that any number of ash tubes may be placed on thecup, the number being limited `by the capacity of the circumferentialrim and that the llash tubes may be disposed at any desired radialposition. Therefore, the burners may be disposed wherever desiredand thedash tubes adjusted to extend radially from the pilot name to theburner. To illustrate this a little more definitely 4there is shown anauxiliary burner I, which is one more than the usual number of burners,and it will be seen how it is merely necessary to place an ylows thatwhen a ash tube is angularly adjusted it swings around the .pilot flameas a center, as distinguished from an arrangement where the flash tubehas a connection with the housing such that the flash tube would pivoton the housing. As a result, all the ash tubes extend substantially on atrue radial line from the pilot flame as a center and therefore theflash tubes open directly toward the pilot flame. 'I'his is illustratedby the full and dotted line positions of Fig. 2 showing the adjustmentof one of the flash tubes. Where a flash tube pivots on a housing theinner end is caused to swing away from the pilot flame if there be anyadjustment.

cumferential wall, said wall having a bead formation on its upper edge,the upper edge of a the wall having at least one notch formation therein`which outs through the bead, and said wall and bead being otherwiseuninterrupted throughout, means for supplyins gasjsubstantiallycentrally within the wall for the pilot flame, flash tubes for extendingfrom the pilot name to the burners, each ash tube having a slot in itswall adjacent the pilot name end thereof, said slot being elongatedcircumferentially of the tube and having enlarged end portions and aconstricted intermediate portion, the constricted intermediateportionhaving a cross dimension less than that of the bead and adaptedto pass into the notch formation, whereby upon shift of the tube alongthe wall the parts defining the constricted intermediate portionengage'under the bead to hold the tube on to the wall, the

The arrangement of the bead Il and the r the housing. Inasmuch as theflash tubes are not permanently united with the housing, the structuremay be shipped in disassembled relation, and it is very easy to slip thetubes into position. The notch l5 is preferably located adjacent thepipe B for the reason that there is usually no burner in a positionwhich requires a flash tube to parallel the pipe 8.

I claim:

1. In a lighter structure for a plurality of gas burners grouped arounda pilot ame, a supporting cup member having an upstandingcircumferential wall, said wall having a bead formation on its upperedge, the upper edge of the -wall having at least one notch formationtherein which cuts through the bead. and said wall and bead beingotherwise uninterrupted throughout, means for supplying gas to thecentral portion of the cup for the pilot flame, flash tubes forextending from the pilot flame to the burners, each flash tube having aslot in its wall adjacent the pilot flame end thereof, said slot beingelongated circumferentially of the tube and having enlarged end portionsand a constricted intermediate portion, the constricted intermediateportion having a cross dimension less than that of the bead and adaptedto pass into the notch formation, whereby upon shift of the tube alongthe wall the parts defining the constricted portion engage under thebead, the enlarged end portions of the slot freely receiving the bead sothat the tube, when thus engaged therewith, is slidable throughout theextent of the wall.

2. In a lighter structure for a plurality of gas burners grouped arounda pilot flame, a supenlarged end portions of the' slot freely receivingthe bead so that the tube, when thus engaged therewith, is slidablethroughout the extent of the wall.

3. In a lighter structure for a plurality of gas burners grouped arounda pilot flame, a supporting member comprising an upstandingcircumferential wall, said wall having a formation on its upper edgewith a radial dimension greater than the thickness of the wall wherebyto overhang the wall, the upper edge of the wall having at least onenotch formation therein which cuts through the said formation and saidwall and formation being otherwise uninterrupted throughout theircircumferential extent, means for supplying gas substantially'centrallywithin the circumferential wall for the pilot flame, flash tubes forextending from the pilot flame to the burners, each flash tube having aslot in its wall adjacent the pilot flame end. said slot being elongatedcircumferentially of the tube and having enlarged end portions and aconstricted intermediate portion, 'the constricted intermediate portionhaving a cross dimension less than the radial dimension of the formationon the upper end of the wall and adapted to pass into the notchformation, ywhereby upon shift of the tube along the wall the partsdefining the constricted intermediate portion engage under the formationon the upper edge of the wall to porting member comprising an upstandingcirwall.

4. In a lighter structure for a plurality of gas burners grouped arounda pilot ilame, a supporting cup member'havinglan upstandingcircumferential wall, the upper edge of the wall being fashionedto'provide an integral formation having a radial dimension greater thanthe thickness of the wall whereby to overhang the same, meansforsupplying gas to the central portion of the cup for the pilot flame,flash tubes for extending from the pilot flame to the burners. the endof each flash tube adjacent the pilot flame having a notch formationextending through its wall for engaging the overhanging formation onsaid wall' including a part for engaging underneath the overhangingformation and a recess formation for freely receiving said overhangingformation so that each tube, when thus engaged with said formation, isslidable throughout the .circumferential extent of said ERVIN H.'MUEILER.

